The More of Less: A National Bestseller (and What the Future Holds)

Early Success for The More of Less

Three weeks ago, I released The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own.

The book introduces the world to minimalism by focusing on the benefits of owning less. It explains how possessions fail to produce happiness in our lives—and even worse, how they keep us from joy by hijacking our most important resources (money, time, energy, & focus).

I am proud of the book. It is inspirational, motivational, and practical.

If you are interested in owning less, you’ll find everything you need in The More of Less to get started on your journey. Or, if you’d like to introduce someone else to the benefits of owning less, this book is a helpful guide.

Here’s how Publisher’s Weekly described it:

With action plans, lists, and appeals to the reader’s quiet nature, Becker successfully presents a well-rounded argument that a journey toward minimalism is possible and enjoyable.

I want to offer a special thank you to everyone who supported its release.

At one point, The More of Less was one of the top 10 selling books in America! And some reports indicate local libraries were operating at a 3:1 hold ratio.

After its first week, the book landed on many National Bestseller Lists:

• USA Today Bestsellers List: #10 in Nonfiction; #2 in Self-Help
• Publisher’s Weekly: #13 in Hardcover Nonfiction
• iBooks: #10 in Nonfiction
• Amazon: #1 in Several Categories

Unfortunately, despite outselling many of the other books, The More of Less was not included on the New York Times Bestseller List. I’m a little bummed, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to come close.

The book sold well over 10,000 copies in its first week and 2,000 copies in its second week. In total, in its first 20 days, it has sold 15,000 copies. That’s a lot of people being introduced to the concept of minimalism.

And while a book’s first week is typically the best chance to make the NYT list, anything can still happen in the future.

Speaking of the future…

Playing the Long Game (and How You Can Help)

I’ve learned a lot about traditional publishing over the last 18 months. I’ve learned about the book-writing process, how book distribution works, how bestseller lists are compiled, and how books get sold.

Generally speaking, there are three types of books: 1) Books that never sell. 2) Books that sell on release, but quickly lose momentum and fall off the radar. And 3) Books that gain momentum and continue to have impact into the future.

The goal, certainly, for The More of Less is that it would become a book that continues to have impact in people’s lives—not just in its first three weeks, but well into the future as well.

There are some good signs of that already occurring—it continues to rank among the top-selling books on Amazon, the published reviews for the book are overwhelmingly positive, and the West Coast Book Tour already boasts 1,000+ RSVP’s.

All the signs are good—for which, I am very thankful.

The joy of owning less is an important message in our society today. As long as people need to hear it, I intend to promote it and write about it.

Indeed, many of you can attest to the freedom and empowerment found in minimalism.

If you would like to help “play the long game” and keep The More of Less as a book of influence in our world, here are three things you can do to help:

1. Leave a positive review on Amazon (or any online retailer). If you’ve read the book and enjoyed it, your rating and positive review will help future readers recognize the potential benefit of the book in their life as well.
2. Share the book with a friend. If you enjoyed the book, give it to a friend—seriously, just pass along your copy. If you think the book has value for your wider network of friends and family, mention it on Facebook and the influence it has had in your life. More and more people are drawn to the notion of owning less—sometimes, they just need to hear others have already taken the step.
3. Purchase a copy at your local bookstore. If you haven’t had opportunity to read the book yet, it centers on many of the themes here on Becoming Minimalist (minimalism, intentionality, generosity). But the book format allows opportunity to dive deeper into each of those topics. If you’ve been waiting, your purchase over the next couple weeks will help keep the book on shelves and in the forefront of conversations. You can also find it online almost everywhere (Amazon | B&N | Books A Million | CBD).

The Future of Becoming Minimalist

The publishing of this book does not change my commitment to Becoming Minimalist or the community that has grown around it. I look forward to continue writing about this topic and others into the future.

Thank you for being an important part of it.

from Becoming Minimalist http://ift.tt/1TuKNCC